Tell Toronto It's Time for an LGBT Youth Homeless Shelter

Upwards of 40 percent of all youth who are homeless in the city of Toronto identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Yet, as has been noted by a local high school teacher running for political office, Toronto has no dedicated LGBT homeless shelter for youth, nor does it provide adequate services or programs for LGBT youth on the streets.

That's not good enough for a city billed as one of Canada's premiere LGBT destinations. Let's urge the city to focus on the problem of LGBT homelessness, particularly among youth, and start to focus on resources that can help LGBT youth navigate services that can help them get their lives back on track if they end up on the streets.

This petition was delivered to:

Children's Services Advisory Committee for the City of Toronto

Letter to

Children's Services Advisory Committee for the City of Toronto

Upwards of 40 percent of youth who are homeless in the city of Toronto identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Yet, as has been noted by a number of studies and political candidates, Toronto has no dedicated homeless shelter for LGBT youth. Moreover, at conferences that have taken place in the past year, academics and experts have noted that programs and services offered by the city of Toronto often fail to take into consideration the problem of homelessness among LGBT youth.

Let's turn this trend around. I'd be curious to hear what the city of Toronto is doing to fight LGBT homelessness, particularly among youth, and whether or not the Children's Services Advisory Committee would get behind the idea of establishing a homeless shelter focused solely on LGBT youth. New York already has one, and it provides a great resource and safe space for LGBT youth in the city.

Given Toronto's high rates of LGBT homeless youth, it sounds like an initiative like this would do wonders to help youth who are on the streets.